Insatiable Ronaldo collects fourth Golden Shoe award

MADRID: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo collected a record fourth Golden Shoe award as Europe’s top scorer on Tuesday for his 48-goal haul in La Liga last season and said he is hungry for more.

The Portugal captain and FIFA Ballon d’Or holder netted 61 times in all competitions in 2014-15, although Real missed out on the three main titles as arch rivals Barcelona swept to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King’s Cup triumphs.

Ronaldo, 30, is poised to become Real’s all-time top scorer ahead of former Spain striker Raul, with whom he is level on 323 goals, and has another chance to break the record in Saturday’s La Liga game at home to Levante.

“I never planned on winning four times,” Ronaldo said at a presentation ceremony in Madrid attended by his mother and son.

“Maybe one or two yes but never four,” he added.

“I always want more. I know I am the only one to have four but I want more.

“That implies winning trophies with the world’s greatest club. This year will be no different and we want to win La Liga, the Cup and the Champions League. I hope we see each other again next year.”

Ronaldo has had a relatively subdued start to the latest La Liga campaign with five goals in seven appearances. All five came in one match, a 6-0 romp at Espanyol last month.

He has a much better return in the Champions League, hitting five goals in two Group A outings, including a hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk.

A global icon and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time, he is the leading marksman in Europe’s elite club competition with 82 goals, five ahead of Barca’s Argentina forward Lionel Messi.

Messi, who scored 58 goals in all competitions last term and 38 in La Liga, holds the record for the most in Spain’s top flight in one season of 50 set in 2011-12.